A Qatari judge ruled on Monday that no one will serve time in prison for the May 2012 Villaggio mall fire that left 19 dead, including children, local media reported.

The Court of Appeal, however, ordered the five defendants to pay compensation to the victims' families in the form of "blood money", as laid down under Islamic law, according to the Doha News website.

Many of the 13 children, who were at Gympanzee daycare, suffocated after a blaze broke out at a nearby Nike sports store, caused by faulty wiring.

They included two-year-old triplets from New Zealand.

Children from France, Spain and Japan also perished as did teachers from the Philippines and South Africa.

Two firefighters were also among the dead.

Last October, the defendants successfully overturned an involuntary manslaughter conviction handed down in 2013 by a criminal court.

A fifth defendant was given a one-year suspended sentence, Doha News said.

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